Going Back vs Going Forward
by christmasinacup
Summary: Donna knows she can never go back from being with Harvey, but maybe she doesn't want to go back. Maybe she wants to go forward. She's just too afraid to lose him if he doesn't feel the same.
1. Chapter 1

I just can't stop my obsession for these two awesome people. This is meant to be a one-shot, but it has potential to be continued, so let me know what you guys think! Reviews make me very happy ;)

* * *

><p>I was on a roll after that little stunt Jessica and I pulled on Louis with the American Ballet Theatre tickets (if he thinks I didn't hear him say," Oh, that phony bitch," after I left his office, he is sorely mistaken), so I decided to go check up on Rachel. The pretty paralegal was just where I thought she'd be, sitting in the associate's kitchen. She was completely still, staring at her phone.<p>

I breezed into the kitchen like it was no big deal. Rachel looked up when I entered with a mix of confusion and happiness on her face.

"What are you doing here? You have access to the partner kitchen."

"I like to keep my finger on the pulse," I said casually. "Plus, they don't have Cheetos."

I could tell Rachel had something on her mind so I cut to the chase. "Actually, I don't care about the pulse."

Rachel sat in silence.

"Okay, either I'm crazy, or something's bothering you, so…. What's bothering you?," I asked, changing my tone from chatty to soothing. Rachel just stared at the table, slowly shaking her dark hair.

"Mike Ross." I wasn't exactly taking a wild stab in the dark, it was pretty obvious.

She looked up, her eyes wide. "Wha- how did you know?"

"I'm Donna, I know," I said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Donna, what am I going to do?," she asked, laughing at herself. The poor girl seemed very much in need of a friend, and that's exactly what I was there for. She also appeared to be in serious need of alcohol.

"There is only one thing to do."

"Quit?"

I made a noise like they do on game shows when someone says the wrong answer.

"Kill her?"

"Well….," I joked. Rachel groaned and let rubbed her temples.

"You need a drink," I decided. She nodded and held up two fingers.

"Two?"

She held up yet another finger and I laughed. "We should barf."

She giggled and smiled at me. I smiled back warmly, then walked over to her at the table and grabbed her hand, pulling her up.

"C'mon, I know where Harvey keeps the good stuff."

It was late, and I knew Harvey and Mike were out running their little "Mississippi Burning" scheme, so I took Rachel into Harvey's office and poured us each a glass of Harvey's favorite scotch. Rachel marveled at all the cool trinkets Harvey had, like his row of signed basketballs. It was kind of fun to watch. Like a kid going into that huge FAO Schwartz in Manhattan for the first time.

"Where does he get all this stuff?"

"Clients. Remember that big Trump scandal you heard about last year?"

"No….."

"Exactly." I took a sip of scotch. Damn, that tasted good. I had to hand it to Harvey, the man had exceptionally good taste.

Rachel set her glass down on the edge of Harvey's desk and pointed to one of the signed basketballs. She raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head. "Not that one. He'll know, and I'll never hear the end of it."

She pointed to another and I shook my head again.

"No, it's Bird."

"But he's from Boston!"

I shrugged. "White man's hero."

She pointed to a third and I nodded.

"It's Kobe, he won't care."

She picked it up and bounced it enthusiastically. I watched with a grin and took a few more sips of my scotch. One of Harvey's old jazz records played in the background, adding to the mellow mood.

"You really know him."

"I really do." It was the truth. I knew that man better than almost anyone in his life. Probably better than Jessica.

Suddenly, her face changed to an expression of mischievousness and she walked a few steps over to me at the desk. She raised an eyebrow slightly and I shook my head, leaning forward.

"No." I was surprised Rachel would even allude to what she was alluding to.

"Never?"

"No."

"_Ever_?"

I shook my head insistently. "No."

She smiled knowingly. "Why not?"

I went from amused and a bit tipsy to serious in less than 5 seconds. I stared at the bookshelf of records, not wanting to make direct eye contact with the bright paralegal. She would see right through me.

"Because you can never go back."

The office went silent and I knew who each of us was thinking about. I needed some air, so I got up and said," I have to pee," leaving Rachel with her thoughts and heading down the hallway.

I did need to pee, but I also needed some time to myself to think. I had told Rachel that once I went _there _with Harvey, I could never go back, which was true. But what if I didn't want to go back? What if I wanted to go there and then go forward? My biggest fear was that Harvey might not feel the same way.

When I came back from the bathroom, I saw Rachel hanging up her phone.

"Mike Ross?," I asked, settling back into Harvey's chair and taking another sip of scotch. I tried to convey as such sympathy as possible in my eyes. I didn't want to directly bring up my feelings for Harvey directly, but maybe I could get her to fill the blanks in herself. I needed to talk to someone about it. She blushed.

"I don't know what to do, Donna. I kissed him."

"I had a feeling," I admitted. Rachel shook her head and let out a little laugh of self-pity. I rolled Harvey's desk chair towards her and put my hand on her wrist.

"Rachel, I know he cares about you. You should have seen how obsessed he was with figuring out who blamed you for leaking that list to Wakefield-Cady a few weeks ago. He was like an incessant puppy. 'Donna, what are employee codes?' 'Donna, can you help me play a trick on Louis with the fax machine?'"

Rachel laughed. "Really?"

"Yes."

She smiled, her dark eyes warm. "Thank you, Donna."

I smiled back and squeezed her hand. "Any time."

"So…," she said, taking the last sip of her scotch. "What are you going to do about Harvey?"

I feigned confusion, trying to use my best acting skills but failing miserably. "Why, Rachel, whatever do you mean?"

"C'mon, Donna. You feel something for him. You can stay in denial for as long as you want, but there are feelings there. Pretending they don't exist will just leave a bigger pain in your chest."

I looked at Rachel, shocked. Neither of us said anything for a few minutes, then she said, "Donna?"

I looked her straight in the eyes as the realization hit me. "You're right. I have to tell him. If I don't, I lose. But if I do, there's a chance it may work."

Rachel grinned and met my hand in a sloppy high-five. We giggled.

"I am drunk enough for one night," she decided, searching the room for her purse. She located and looked at the time on her phone.

"1 am? I can get a cab at this hour, right?"

I nodded and gathered my things. "I don't see why not."

Rachel yawned and rubbed her temples. "Ugh, I don't even want to think about the almost 40-minute ride to my apartment. I usually just take the subway, but there is no way I'm going down there this late."

I slipped into my coat and smiled at her. "Well, maybe you don't have to."

She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"My place is just 15 minutes away, you can stay the night if you want. I can lend you some clothes for tomorrow or you can go home in the morning and then come back here."

She smiled at me. "You would do that for me, Donna?"

I elbowed her gently and returned the smile. "Of course."

I think we both knew that was the minute we truly became friends. We left Harvey's office and walked towards the elevators together, laughing about how drunk we were and other silly things. I was just grateful to have a friend. And I think Rachel felt the same way.

The next morning, I woke up in my bra and underwear, the sheets of my bed tangled around me oddly. My black dress from yesterday had been tossed on the ground, and I could see mine and Rachel's coats on the chair next to my closet. I groaned and closed my eyes again, squeezing them shut and rubbing my temples. Last night after Rachel and I had reached my place, we'd had a few more drinks. I remembered dancing to the Mamma Mia soundtrack and drinking at least 2 beers each. God, it had been a while since I actually let loose and got totally wasted. I had to admit it felt pretty good. Last night, anyway. Now all I had was a bitch of a migraine and a hangover that would take a few more hours to go away.

I slowly slid out of bed and grabbed a men's button down shirt from under my bed. It was an old shirt of Harvey's from a long time ago. The first time we got truly drunk together, we ended up passing out on his couch. When we woke up, I was completely embarrassed and my dress had a large splotch of tequila on it. He had gallantly given me a shirt to wear home over my clothes, and smiled at me with a twinkle in his eye. I remembered getting into a cab on the street and seeing Harvey watching me protectively from his apartment window. I knew it was a little silly to keep a shirt for almost twenty years, but I liked it. It had memories in it.

I went out the kitchen to find some Ibuprofen and a glass of water, not bothering to button the shirt. I doubted Rachel would mind. Plus, it wasn't like I was wearing gross underwear. My gray lace bra and matching panties were pretty nice. I had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing too loudly and waking Rachel. She was fast asleep on my couch, her skirt on the floor next to her. In her soft, pale pink shirt, with her makeup all rubbed off and a blue fleece blanket covering her from her waist down, she looked like just a kid. I smiled to myself. All she needed was a teddy bear.

5 minutes later, I had downed three Ibuprofen and a glass of water and had moved on to making coffee. I heard Rachel shift on the couch, so I went over to her and sat on the floor next to her head, a mug of hot coffee in my hand. She opened one eye and stared at me. I grinned.

"Hey there."

She opened her other eye and sat up slowly. I could tell she was confused. She looked around at my apartment.

"What…. Where?," she mumbled. I laughed and held the coffee out to her. She took a large sip as I explained.

"We were both a little drunk, so I took you back here instead of sending down to the Subway at 1 am…. And then we got way drunk, so you slept on the couch."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Donna."

I reached out and squeezed her hand. "No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

She smiled and nodded a little too enthusiastically. Her eyes screwed shut and she groaned.

"Owww."

I laughed again and handed her the two Ibuprofen I had figured she would need. She thanked me again and swallowed them quickly.

"Ughh. I think I'm going to call in sick today. Can you keep scare Louis away from my little office so he doesn't flip out?"

I bit my lip. "Actually, I don't think I'm going in today."

"Ohhhh." Her eyes lit up. "Harvey?"

I nodded and smiled uneasily. I couldn't admit how scared I was to her, so I just let my fear show in my eyes. She hugged me.

"You're gonna do great."

"Thanks, Rachel," I whispered.

An hour later, Rachel was on her way home in a cab and I was pacing my apartment. I figured the easiest thing to do was to just shower, get dressed, and go over to Harvey's. I couldn't carry this around any more.

I knew Harvey and Mike were waiting for Clifford to be released from jail, so I just sat in front of the door to Harvey's large apartment and waited. I didn't look like my usual self in yoga pants, a pale blue henley, and flip flops, but I didn't want to dress up. I had just wanted to get over here so I didn't miss him. I needed to see him.

About 3 hours later, I saw him coming down the hall. I looked at the slightly chipped black nail polish on my toes, unsure of what to say.

"Donna?"

I turned to face him. "Harvey, I…."

He held his hand out to help me up, and before I could finish my sentence, he dragged my face to his and kissed my lips. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled myself as close to his body as I could, deepening the kiss. He tangled his fingers in my hair and I let out a slight moan of pleasure. I had spent all these years thinking this was the wrong thing to do, but it felt so _right_.

We broke apart and Harvey stared at me. His chocolate brown eyes had a powerful grip on my hazel ones, and he was cupping my face in his hands. He smiled the same smile that he always did when he put on a really good record, or won a case he actually cared about.

"Come in," he whispered, taking my hand in his and unlocking his apartment door. I followed him silently, not sure of what to say. He took off his suit jacket and hung it on a chair in the dining room, motioning for me to make myself comfortable. It was awkwardly quiet. And also just awkward in general. I slipped my flip flops off next to his door and sat down on the couch. The couch I had sat on so many times. He sat down next to me and kissed me again, pulling me down on top of him. We kissed until I felt dizzy, and then I pulled away for second. We were both panting slightly. Harvey grinned.

"I think I might be falling in love with you, Harvey."

"You _think_?," he laughed, kissing my neck. He hit a sweet spot and I groaned. I dragged his face back to mine and kissed him hard, wrapping my arms around his neck. We sunk into another heated little makeout session, and just a few minutes later he stopped and letting my forehead rest against his.

"Well, that's going to be a problem, because I know I'm falling in love with you."

We both laughed and dove at each other again. My entire body felt warm and tingly. I broke the kiss and sat up in Harvey's lap. He watched me, and I could tell he was a little puzzled. I smiled coyly and took a deep breath. Once I did this, there was absolutely no going back. I waited a few seconds, then threw caution to the wind. I pulled my shirt off over my head, tossing it onto the floor. Harvey reached up and put his hands on my back, pulling me back down to him for another round of passionate kisses. He skillfully unclipped my bra and let it join my shirt on the floor. All or nothing.

I hooked my ankles around Harvey's to flip him over, and my knee brushed against the crotch of his pants. I grinned and he returned the look, sitting up and shifting me into his lap. He brushed a few strands of wavy red hair out of my eyes. Then his eyes turned serious.

"Are you sure? We can't go back."

I nodded. "I don't want to go back." I pressed a kiss to his lips.

He grinned again and stood up, gathering me up in his arms and kissing me, never breaking the kiss as he carried me into his bedroom.

When I opened my eyes it was late afternoon. Next to me in bed, Harvey lay face down, still asleep. The sunlight was streaming into Harvey's bedroom, making the muscles in his back gleam. I kissed his shoulder blade and he rolled over, a sleepy look on his face.

"That's all I get for a wakeup call?"

I grinned and sat up, letting the sheets pool at my hips and flipping my hair over my shoulder. He laughed and looked at me hungrily. He kissed me and I fell back onto the pillows, tangling my fingers in his messy hair. I let him work his way down my neck, sighing. He had just reached my collarbone when his cell phone rang from his bedside table. He groaned and flopped down next to me, but didn't answer. It rang again and he sighed, then picked it up. He saw the caller ID and hit accept.

"Jessica? What's up?"

His eyes widened and he stared at me, frozen. He looked as close to panicked as I'd ever seen him. I leaned forward and squeezed his free hand, then mouthed_, 'What happened?'_

He gulped and listened to Jessica, then said, "Let me come and explain in person. I'll be there as soon as I can."

He hung up and dropped the phone back onto the nightstand. He stared blankly at his lap.

"Harvey?" I put my fingers under his chin and tilted it up so he was looking at me. His eyes were glazed over. "What's wrong? You're scaring me."

Harvey looked very different than I'd ever seen him, and not in a good way. His face was so pale it was almost white.

"That son of a bitch."

"Who?" I moved closer to Harvey. He looked at me, his eyes full of anger.

"Trevor," he spat out. "He went to Jessica and told her everything. She knows Mike and I lied to her."


	2. Chapter 2

Here we go! Chapter 2! Please review with loads of feedback, I hope you guys enjoy it :) Also, sorry if parts are a bit dramatic, I was simultaneously watching One Tree Hill.

* * *

><p>We stared at each other with wide, terrified eyes. All the thoughts and questions running through my mind were probably ten times worse in Harvey's.<p>

_Why would Trevor do that? What did Mike do to make him so angry? Is Jessica going to believe him? How did he even get in the building? Does Mike know? What if Harvey can't fix it?_

After a few minutes, Harvey threw the covers back and grabbed his pants and boxers off the ground. He got dressed faster than I'd ever seen him do anything.

"Harvey, what are you going to do?," I asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm going to go talk to Jessica."

I started searching for my clothes. "I'm coming too."

Harvey looked at me. "No. I don't want you to be implicated in all of this."

"I don't care," I said firmly, staring into his eyes. I found my bra and my yoga pants. "I'm coming to support you."

He sighed and tossed me my shirt. "Fine."

10 minutes later, we were flagging a cab on the street in front of Harvey's apartment. We had barely spoken to each other since Jessica called, afraid of what to say. We slid into the backseat of the cab and rode in silence for a few minutes. I took Harvey's hand in mine and squeezed it.

"Harvey?"

He turned to me and I placed a light kiss on his cheek.

"It's gonna be okay."

He put his other hand on my cheek and looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite place. On anyone else it would be hopelessness and worry, but this was Harvey. I was pretty sure he had never felt either of those emotions in his entire life.

Then his face crumpled. "Shit."

"What?"

"I have to call Mike. Tell him to stay far away from the office." He dug in his pocket for his phone and dialed Mike with one hand, still holding my hand with his other. I tried to give him my most reassuring smile, but this time I wasn't so confident. The one thing Harvey was not perfect at was lying to Jessica's face. Especially when it was something like this.

"Mike?," Harvey said into his phone. "It's Harvey. Don't go to the office today, okay?"

I could hear Mike questioning him through the phone. Harvey explained what happened as calmly as he possibly could. Mike voice grew louder and more panicked through the speaker of Harvey's phone as the news grew worse and worse.

"I'm going to fix it, okay, Mike?"

"_How can you fix this, Harvey? She's going to fire both of us,"_ I heard Mike yell into his phone. Harvey shook his head and let go of my hand to rub his temples. I was growing increasingly worried.

"Just…. Stay home. I'll call you later," Harvey said. He hung up and put his face in his hands. I rubbed his shoulder and tried to think of comforting things to say, but I couldn't.

The cab stopped in front of Pearson-Hardman and Harvey was absolutely still. When he finally got out, he just stood on the sidewalk, looking up at the firm. I paid the driver and got out, walking over to Harvey and standing net to him. The air was a bit chilly and I rubbed my shoulders. Harvey put his arm around me, hugging me to his side. I shifted onto the tips of my toes so I could reach his cheek and give him a kiss.

"I'll be right outside, at my desk."

Harvey nodded and we headed inside the building.

When the elevator stopped on the right floor, Jessica was standing in front of her office door, arms crossed and an unreadable expression on her face. She turned around and walked into her office, and Harvey followed her, with one more glance back at me. I faked a reassuring smile until Jessica closed her office door, and then I burst into tears, turning around and running down the hall and around the corner to my desk. I collapsed into the chair and let my face fall forward into my hands, trying to steady my breathing.

It felt stupid to cry. Honestly, I didn't even know why I was doing it. I was just afraid, for Mike and for Harvey. I was upset because 12 hours ago, everything had been perfect. I had thought that there was nothing to lose. Now, the lives of everyone around me were falling apart. Mike and Harvey could get fired, maybe even go to jail, and Rachel would be heartbroken when she heard about everything. If Harvey lost all of this –his office, his reputation, his relationship with Jessica – he would never be the same again. The only thing that wouldn't change would be Louis. He would still be an ass.

And I would still love Harvey. No matter what.

About an hour later, I was lying on the couch in Harvey's office. My face felt odd, that weird feeling you get when you've been crying and your cheeks are tear-stained. I was staring out the window at the city numbly, trying to block out the noise of a few associates down the hall who were lame enough to come in on a Sunday morning.

Harvey walked through the door looking like he had been through hell. I jumped up and threw myself at him. He held me close and stroked my hair. We stood like that for a few minutes and then sat down on the couch, his arm around me. He looked at me and cracked a tiny smile.

"Hey, now, what's with the tears?"

I shook my head. "I can't even explain it. But if you don't tell me what happened, the tears will be followed by massive heart failure."

Harvey took a deep breath. "I was able to convince her that Trevor was lying about Harvard."

"Good." I wanted to smile, but I felt like he was leaving something out. "And….?"

He sighed. "I had to confess that the pot-smoking thing was true to I could write Trevor off as an addict. I had to destroy his credibility and it was the only way to go."

"Oh," I sighed, leaning back against the cushions. Harvey kissed the top of my head.

"So what does that mean for Mike?"

"He had a few days off while Jessica decides what she wants to do," Harvey said grimly. "I'm worried she'll fire him, even if he is clean. She doesn't tolerate stupid things like that."

"I'm sorry," I murmured. I yawned. Harvey and I had been up pretty late last night, so I was short on sleep. Harvey chuckled, but it was weak. I tilted my head to look at him.

"I should go home. Get some rest."

I stood up. Harvey stood with me and took both my hands in his. "Can I come with you?"

I stared at him. "Huh?"

"I don't really want to go back to my place," he confessed. "I just can't deal right now."

I considered it for a minute and then said, "Okay. But we are going to sleep, not… you know."

He smiled, that sexy glint coming back into his eye. "Deal."

When we got to my apartment, Harvey and I quietly moved around. He slipped his shoes off and washed down 3 Ibuprofen with a glass of water. I took my bra off and put on the Harvard t-shirt Harvey had given me six years ago. Harvey was settling down on the couch, pulling the blanket Rachel had used over his body. I watched him from my bedroom doorway.

"Harvey?"

He looked at me and a smile crept onto to his face.

"Join me?"

He got up and came into the bedroom with me, his hand on the small of my back. We laid down next to each other in silence for a few minutes. Then Harvey whispered, "Are you okay?"

"Me?," I whispered back incredulously. "What about you? The last few hours have probably been a nightmare for you."

He laughed softly, and the sound was something I wanted to memorize.

"You know I don't have emotions, Donna." He paused. "Well, that's not true. It was hell, but without the knowledge that you were just down the hall and around the corner, it would have been pretty damn hard to endure."

I smiled.

"Oh, and I love you. So I do have a few emotions."

I scooted over a foot to where Harvey was and kissed him, shifting my body on top of his. He kissed back and moved his hands to my lower back.

"I thought we weren't going to do this," Harvey whispered, placing a kiss on my forehead. I sighed.

"Yeah…. You don't want me to fall asleep on you."

Harvey laughed. I slid off of him and laid on my back, snuggling into him.

"Goodnight, Harvey," I whispered. He squeezed my hand and whispered back, "Goodnight, beautiful."


	3. Chapter 3

Here we are! The conclusion to Harvey and Donna's couple days of fun and craziness. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoy this last chapter! Reviews are welcomed :)

* * *

><p>When I woke up, the first thing I saw was Harvey sitting next to me. He was scrolling through texts on his phone with one hand, and the other hand was lightly resting on my wrist. I smiled and just watched him for a while. The look on his face was half annoyed, half amused.<p>

"Morning," I murmured. He looked down at me and a warm smile spread across his face.

"Hey there."

I smiled back and snuggled close to him, peering at his phone screen.

"Mike?"

"Yep," He nodded. "He's freaking out about not coming to work for a week."

"Poor kid," I said. Harvey groaned.

"Not really. I don't know why he doesn't trust me to get him out of this."

"He trusts you," I said, tracing circles on Harvey's thigh with my finger. "But he's scared."

"I guess," Harvey sighed, putting his phone on my bedside table. He bent down and kissed my forehead.

"I didn't tell you this before, but Jessica told me to take a day or two off as well."

I sat up. "Harvey!"

Harvey looked genuinely confused. "What?"

"What did you say to her?"

Harvey looked at his lap. "Um… I might have questioned her authority."

I groaned. "Why?"

"Because, it's not fair. Who gave Trevor the right to ruin everything? To go in there and tell Jessica, when Mike has worked so hard?"

"It's not her fault," I said soothingly. I put my arm around his shoulder and looked in his eyes.

"No, maybe it's Mike's. What did he do? Probably something stupid," Harvey said furiously. He picked his phone up and looked for Mike's number.

"He didn't tell you?"

"No."

I took the phone out of Harvey's hand and held it away from him.

"Donna…."

"No," I said firmly. "No more. You were told to take a few days off, so that's what you're going to do. No calls. Not even to Mike. You have to imagine how bad this is for him. Add in that you're mad at him, and he'll be crushed. Whatever he did, he needs time to deal with it."

I got up and walked across the room to my dresser and stuck the phone in my underwear drawer, under a pink silk nightie. Harvey would never go through my underwear just to find his phone. It was probably the only safe place in my apartment for it.

I turned around and smirked at him, and he just shook his head. He slid off the bed and walked over to me, slipping his arms around my waist. He pulled me close to him and pressed a kiss to my neck. I tried to look like this little move didn't affect me, but I was seconds from gasping. He did it again, pushing my hair away and kissing a sweet spot on my neck. I gripped his forearms and moaned softly, feeling a little light-headed.

Harvey chuckled and, in one swift movement, swept me up into his arms bridal-style and dropped me on the bed. I pulled him down to me and kissed him, hard. It only took a few minutes for both our shirts to end up on the floor, and we just kept going. Kissing and whispering to each other and soft, gentle touches.

Four hours later, I stared out the window as the sky grew darker. Harvey was on the phone with Mike, who had called twenty minutes ago in a panic, interrupting some serious cuddling. Well, not cuddling. That word sounded way to soft and fuzzy for me or Harvey.

"Mike, I can't do anything else. You need to trust me. I'm going back the day after tomorrow, and I will talk to Jessica. Just relax…. No, I have to go….. I have plans, for God's sake!"

He hung up and handed me my cell phone. I grinned.

"Missing your phone?"

"No," he lied, leaning over me and kissing my lips. After a minute, he grabbed my hand and gently pulled me out of bed. I tried to grab my robe off the floor, but he kicked it out of reach.

"Harvey!"

"What? It's not like you were covered up any more and hour ago."

"Yeah, but you're wearing pants," I pointed out. He laughed and started walking to the bathroom, pulling me with him.

"Whats going on?"

He let go of my hand and gestured to the shower. I crossed my arms.

"Is this some sort of hint that I smell bad? Because it's your fault I've been wearing the same yoga pants for practically two days."

Harvey shook his head and laughed. "No. I'm taking you out to dinner."

A smile crept onto my face and I blushed slightly. He kissed my cheek.

"I'm going to go home, shower and dress, and then come pick you up. And we will have a wonderful evening together."

The smile turned to a full-on grin and I pressed a kiss to lips, allowing myself to sink into him for a moment.

"Sounds good," I said. He winked.

"I'll pick you up in two hours," he promised, with one last quick kiss before heading for my bedroom doorway. He grabbed his shirt and shoes, and after a minute or two I heard my apartment door closed, leaving me alone to reflect on the events of the last few days.

I jumped in the shower and turned on the hot water. I worked my fingers through my hair and hummed "Valerie" to myself quietly. When I got out of the shower, I dried off and went to my closet. It had been a while since I'd been on a date. If that's what this even was. After about 15 minutes of debating with myself, I choose a strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline. The fabric was black with tiny gold flecks, and it made my eyes sparkle. Luckily, I had enough time to paint my toenails deep red, so I did that and let them dry while I styled my hair. I put it in a bun, with a few loose waves framing my face. I did my makeup, put my dress on, and then slipped my feet into black peep-toe pumps.

It was a little cliché to check myself out in the full-length mirror on my bathroom door, but that's exactly what I did. I had to admit, I looked _good. _It had been a while since I'd gone on an actual date. I titled my head and stared at myself for a little longer, a tiny bit of insecurity floating into my mind. Was this really what Harvey wanted? Me?

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door. I opened it and saw Harvey, holding a single red rose, and looking completely dashing. I blushed and took the rose, walking into the kitchen to look for a vase. While I filled a vase with water, Harvey came up behind me and started kissing my neck. I giggled.

"Harvey!"

He kissed my cheek. "You seem to really like saying my name. That's gotta be the fourth time you've said it today. At least."

I laughed and placed the rose in the vase, then turned around and kissed his lips. When we broke apart, I grinned. "Thank you."

Harvey shrugged, like it was no big deal, then took my coat off the couch and held it out for me to slip into. I obliged and once it was on, I took his hand in mine and we left the apartment, making small talk about anything but the firm.

Once we were seated at dinner, each with a drink in front of us, Harvey got serious.

"Donna, I talked to Jessica."

I took a sip of my red wine and raised an eyebrow at him.

He rushed to explain. "She came by my place right before I left to come get you. She made a decision."

I stared at him expectantly. "And….? Harvey, you're killing me here."

"She said…..," he paused, raising his Scotch to his lips and taking a sip. "Mike's not getting fired."

My face broke into a grin and took his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back and then laced his fingers through mine.

"And you're good too?"

"Yes, but I need to be careful. It's like I'm on probation."

I laughed. "You can handle it."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. "So…," I said carefully, not wanting to ruin the moment. "What does that mean for us?"

Harvey looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well… the past few days have been wonderful, but is this gonna last? I mean, we really just were each other's comfort. The situation was pretty bizarre and a little frightening."

"I'm not totally following you, Harvey said slowly. "But if you're asking if I still love you, or if I just needed someone for comfort, then the answer is both."

Now it was my turn to be confused. "Huh?"

Harvey smiled. "I don't regret one moment of these last few days, Donna. And I think that even if Jessica hadn't called me about Trevor, if the last few days had been normal, nothing would be different. I don't think you would have just gone home and we would never talk about it again. I love you, Donna. And I was lucky to have you there, to have a safe place to land in the middle of all the chaos. I want to be with you, for more than just three days."

He squeezed my hand and I smiled. "Oh, Harvey….."

He laughed. "Going sappy on me?"

"Yes," I said firmly, leaning over the table and kissing him lovingly.

"I love you too," I whispered. "And I think I always will."

"Good," he replied, kissing me again. Our lips were just inches apart as I rested my forehead on his over the small table. "Because if not, that could get very awkward down the line."

I burst into laughter and he joined me. He put his hand on my cheek and smiled. The perfect ending to the last couple of days was seeing that smile. Rachel had been right. There was nothing for me to lose.


End file.
